Russia, China slam US ‘Typhon’ missiles in Japan

Al Jazeera :

Russia and China have separately warned Japan over its decision to allow the United States to deploy “Typhon” intermediate-range missiles during joint military exercises in Japan next month, calling the move a threat to regional stability.

“We view this as another destabilising step as part of Washington’s course toward ramping up the potential of ground-based shorter and intermediate-range missiles,” Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

Deploying Typhon missiles “in regions near Russia poses a direct strategic threat to Russia”, Zakharova said in comments published by the country’s state-run TASS news agency.

Moscow has also taken note of Japan’s moves towards “accelerated militarisation” and cooperation with the US, the spokeswoman said.

If Japan does not rethink its decision on the Typhon’s deployment, Russia “will have to take appropriate military-technical measures”, she said.
“We will assume that the entire responsibility for the further degradation of the situation in the region rests on the Japanese side,” she added.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that the US and Japan should contribute to regional peace and stability and not undermine it with the deployment of medium-range missiles, even if only temporarily.